Big Ten And Pinstripe Bowl Make It Official

The Iowa State Cyclones and the Rutgers Scarlet Knights face off during the New Era Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium on December 30, 2011 in the Bronx Borough of New York City. (Photo by Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images)

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The New York Yankees and the New Era Pinstripe Bowl put weeks of speculation to rest when they officially announced a partnership with the Big Ten Conference on Monday afternoon.

Beginning in 2014, the Big Ten has agreed to send a team to the annual bowl game, which takes place at Yankee Stadium. The deal is an eight-year commitment.

As part of the contract, the conference will have advertisements in the stadium for all New York Yankees home games, beginning in 2014. According to an official press release, a fixed sign will be located down the first-base line and a rotating ad will be placed one of the rotating panels behind home plate.

The move comes on the heels of adding Rutgers University, who will join the conference in 2014, and is the latest in a series of efforts by the conference to establish a presence on the East Coast.

“Once we saw the success of the New Era Pinstripe Bowl, it became obvious – especially with the Big Ten’s growing East Coast footprint – that being in the media capital of the world at one of sports’ most renowned venues was a natural pairing,” said Big Ten Commissioner James E. Delany in a statement. “By agreeing to an eight-year partnership, it increases the likelihood that most of the Big Ten schools will have the opportunity to participate in the game, while giving our coaches, student-athletes, administrators and fans the opportunity to experience the nation’s biggest metropolis and an iconic setting like Yankee Stadium.”

What is yet to be determined, however, is which conference will be on the other side of the equation. Under the current setup, the game features a representative from the Big 12 Conference and another from the Big East. With the Big Ten stepping in in favor of the Big 12 come 2014 and Big East football gone after this season, another contract with the bowl game remains open.